APUSH Chapter 18

Bessemer Process

A technique developed in the 1850s allowing for cheaper production of steel.

Open-hearth process

A technique developed in the 1860s using waste heat to boost flame heat in the furnace, enabling more efficient/cheaper steel production.

Alexander Graham Bell

Inventor of the telephone, revolutionizing communication; filed the patent in 1876.

Thomas Alva Edison

Tireless inventor who developed the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture; interested in DC power.

George Westinghouse and AC Current

American inventor who imported European AC generators and hired Nikola Tesla to develop a more efficient AC motor.

Railroad Construction Post-Civil War

Construction of rail routes to the Pacific, joining of Union Pacific and Central Pacific at Promontory Point in 1869.

Railroad Innovations After the Civil War

Introduction of steel rails, standard gauge, Westinghouse air brake, and Pullman Palace cars.

Railroad Innovations After the Civil War

Rail transportation advancements in the Gilded Age included stronger steel rails, standardized gauge, Westinghouse air brakes for safety, and Pullman Palace cars for passenger comfort.

Abuses by Railroads

Practices like stock watering, pooling, and differential rates leading to excessive charges and reduced competition.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Titan of eastern railroads and shipping, established a great family fortune; resisted public regulation.

Robber Barons or Captains of Industry

Debate on whether business tycoons were ruthless exploiters (robber barons) or benefactors of society (captains of industry).

Andrew Carnegie

Poor immigrant who became a steel magnate, justifying wealth accumulation through the Gospel of Wealth.

The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie's belief that the wealthy have a responsibility to use their wealth to benefit society.

Social Darwinism

Application of Darwin's theories to society, emphasizing competition, success, and minimal government interference.

Horatio Alger

Author of juvenile fiction promoting virtues like honesty and hard work leading to success and wealth.

John D. Rockefeller

Often viewed as a robber baron, amassed wealth through ruthless tactics in the oil industry.

Monopolies

When a corporation controls and owns a specific product within the market, eliminating competition.

Railroad rebates

A technique used to discourage competition by obtaining discounts on shipping costs from railroads.

Pittsburgh Plus

Northern steel barons discouraged the growth of the steel industry in the South by forcing railroads to charge extra for transporting steel from South, a rate known as Pittsburgh Plus.

Horizontal Integration

Binding together competitors to monopolize a market, as seen in Rockefeller's oil trust.

Vertical Integration

Controlling every stage of production, as exemplified by Carnegie in the steel industry.

Gustavus Swift

Introduced refrigerated train cars for meat transportation, leading to the growth of the meatpacking industry.

Trusts

Business combinations to limit competition and increase profits, with stockholders assigning their stocks to a central company.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

Legislation aimed at banning trusts or combinations that restrain trade, though its effectiveness was limited.

J.P. Morgan

Dominated the banking industry and rationalized markets by buying out competitors like Carnegie to form US Steel.

Impact of Industrial Revolution on Workers

Resulted in improved living standards, changed work routines, increased female workforce participation, and accentuated class divisions.

Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management

Maximized productivity by optimizing workflows and removing unnecessary motions in factory work.

Tactics to Destroy Organized Labor

Methods like scabs, injunctions, lockouts, yellow dog contracts, blacklists, and company towns used to weaken unions.

Irish Workers

Faced low wages and anti-Catholic bias, competing with black workers for jobs.

Molly Maguires

Irish miners' union that fought coal companies in Pennsylvania in the 1860s and 1870s.

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

A nationwide strike by rail workers due to wage cuts and poor working conditions, leading to federal intervention.

National Labor Union (1866)

Combined skilled and unskilled workers and farmers into a nationwide union, advocating for labor rights and reforms.

Panic of 1873

One of the first global depressions caused by industrial capitalism, marked by factors like inflation post-Civil War, land speculation, and the demonization of silver.

Knights of Labor

A labor union admitting skilled and unskilled workers, advocating for an 8-hour day, end of child labor, and limitations on immigration, and using strikes for concessions.

Haymarket Square Riot

Occurred in 1886 when a bomb was thrown at police during a labor rally, leading to the arrest of labor leaders and a decline in public support for unions.

American Federation of Labor (1886(

Founded by Samuel Gompers, organized skilled workers into craft unions focusing on pay increases through collective bargaining and strikes.

Homestead Steel Strike of 1892

A strike at the Homestead Steel Mill due to wage cuts and demands to dissolve the union, leading to a violent conflict and the collapse of the Amalgamated Association.

Panic of 1893

A financial crisis resulting in numerous business failures, bank collapses, and economic hardships, leading to Coxey’s march on Washington and the Pullman Strike.

Pullman Strike (1894)

A strike by Pullman workers due to wage cuts and high rents, which shut down rail traffic and was broken up by President Cleveland with troops.

Eugene V. Debs

A prominent figure in the labor movement and socialism, leading the American Railway Union and organizing the Pullman Strike, running for president multiple times.

Consumer Culture

The Gilded Age saw the birth of American consumer culture, driven by big business, new inventions, and rising social classes. Women embraced consumerism for convenience and independence, while the middle class utilized credit to fuel the purchase of goods, expanding the culture further.

Montgomery Ward

A company that catered to the needs of rural Americans with a mail-order catalog.

Sears, Roebuck & Co.

A company that revolutionized retail with its mail-order catalog and diversified product line.